On a free Sunday, many of us sit in front of our televisions the entire day and watch many advertisements in between the news or drama serials. While most conform to the gender roles that have been created by our society, there are some that break the norms and hence, they stick in our memory. While brands do this to gain praise from the audience that will consequently consume the given product, the positive message being delivered sets a new precedent.
For example, Eva Cooking Oil’s latest advertisement with a hashtag “men can cook” reinforces this idea that gender roles are unnecessary and its time that we change them.
It’s not a woman’s job to always cook and look after her family. A man can cook, take care of his wife and on top of everything he can be self-sufficient. He does not need a woman to make food for him – he can make it for himself and even for the women in the household. There should be no shame in doing household chore such as cooking.
Moreover, the advertisement calls out the toxic idea of how men are considered to be strong, and that is why they have to face all problems head on and are not allowed to cry. However, crying should not be seen as a weakness and men should not be forced to avoid their emotions like those of sadness only because of their gender. They should be taught that they can embrace such emotions and give in to them while simultaneously also taking on some of the burdens that women typically have to bear for a healthier and happier lifestyle.